It's no wonder that Garry Monk had a big smile on his face in the Reading press room.

Because it was a near-perfect weekend for the Boro boss - at a time when the pressure had really cranked up.

The axe might not have been hanging over his head, but the vultures were spotted circling around the Riverside last week after the 1-0 home reverse to Cardiff.

So Boro needed a result to raise morale, offer reassurance and keep the season on track.

Monk needed a result to convince the doubters yet to be convinced of his blueprint or long-term vision.

And the fans needed a result, many still bleary-eyed from the arduous midweek trek to Bournemouth which brought with it little reward, just more questions.

But one win can make a huge difference . Things can change quickly in this division, and on Saturday it was like watching the Boro of old - awkward, uncompromising, tough.

It could so easily have been an Aitor Karanka side playing at the Madejski Stadium, and that's a compliment. Bruising Boro looked like a promotion heavyweight again.

Grant Leadbitter celebrates at Reading (Image: James Griffiths)

Of course, it was far from a spectacle. Boro didn't carve Reading open with beautiful free-flowing football - but they didn't need to. That's the kind of game Jaap Stam's side fancied in the opening few minutes.

So credit to Boro, a team who've had their fair share of knocks over the last few weeks. They played the game their way. They overpowered, out-thought and outmanoeuvred the Royals.

There's more than one way to win a football match, and as we head into the festive season, Boro will be looking to play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge more often.

Opposition teams have been lavished with gifts over the last few months. But not at Reading - last season's beaten promotion finalists were given no encouragement whatsoever and trudged off-the-pitch demoralised.